Kannauj is a small town about 2.5 hours away from Agra, which can be compared to the French perfume city Grasse. This small town of Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh has a long history related to perfume. The Mughal emperors loved to apply perfumes of high quality and unique aroma . Kannauj is said to have been a perfumery city for more than 1000 years. The art of making traditional perfumes has been passed down from generation to generation by perfumers. Traditional perfumes usually made from flowers and herbs are called ‘Itr ‘ or ‘attar’ by the locals. Perfumes are usually made from flowers and herbs, but mud is also used in one of the unique varieties here. The scent of the first monsoon rains on dry soil is used to make a perfume. Little would be aware that giving international reach to Kannauj perfumes, perfume pick-ups of some leading international brands concentrate from here for further production.Though a lot has changed around Kannauj, the city of Kannauj still takes pride in making perfumes in traditional ways and passing down the art within the family of perfumers. One can also smell the fragrance in the drains of Kannauj, in which the remains of innumerable perfumes flow.
